Asia Laos New rules for intellectual property protection wereintroduced, allowing businesses to protect industrial designs internationally through a single application under the Hague System; It simplifies registration and administrative procedures, reducing costs
Africa Ethiopia 17 standard cholera treatment centres have been established by WHO in Ethiopia to face the ongoing epidemic; open 24-hours, they provide rapid treatment to people infected
Asia Laos Social media has recently ignited a heated debate on disciplinary practices in schools, particularly those run by the state and located in rural Laos, for practices that are often considered outdated and inappropriate
America Jamaica The Ministry of Agriculture has announced a J$20 million (€118000) relief fund to support fishermen who have been affected by rising sea waves along the Jamaican coast
Asia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia said Israel's actions in the Palestinian Territories are 'legally indefensible' at the second day of the International Court of Justice hearing
Asia Japan A traditional rice-planting dance was performed on 18 February at Kusano shrine in the Ukedo area in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture; the shrine was rebuilt after being swept away by tsunami triggered by the March 2011 earthquake
Europe Netherlands Persons subject to integration obligations must integrate within three years and if they do not obtain the integration certificate the government can fine them; the European Court of Justice will assess whether this is contrary to European standards
Europe Switzerland The Graubünden cantonal police have launched an investigation on suspicion of discrimination and incitement to hatred following the decision of equipment rental shops in Davos to stop renting to Jewish people
Europe Slovakia Malnutrition affects almost two-thirds of Slovakian hospitalised patients; despite additional costs of malnutrition entails for healthcare system, interventions remain minimal, according to research by Slovakian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
Africa Guinea Guinea's ruling National Rally for Development Council dissolved the interim government, stressing that the transition will end this year with the appointment of a new administration
Europe Denmark The country will send its entire stockpile of ammunition to Kiev, announced Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, becoming the first to do so and appealing to other European nations to do more to help Ukraine
Africa Cameroon Cameroonian plastic artist Hako Hankson has been invited to represent Cameroon at the next Venice Art Biennale; born in 1968 in Bafang, in the west, he now lives and works in the economic capital Douala
America Saint Lucia The Epidemiology Unit reports that 82% of deaths are attributed to non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes
Africa Zimbabwe 62 people sentenced to the death penalty in the country will see their sentences commuted to life imprisonment as a result of the abolition of capital punishment, decided by the Harare government, which gave its assent to a parliamentary initiative